A well versed genealogist told me that when you lose an ancestor in south central Virginia in the 1830’s look in Georgia. Losing an ancestor took me from the basement of the Halifax County, Virginia court house to the genealogy records of Georgia.

Look in Georgia?

The discovery of Georgia gold in 1829 led to the Georgia Gold Rush and an influx of people seeking their fortunes. Almost every surname in Halifax County, Virginia in the 1830’s can be found in Georgia. As it turns out, I was following the ancestor who was following the gold. Without learning the history of the time and the area, looking for my ancestors in Georgia would not have occurred to me. (Tip: Know the historical and economic events that would have impacted your ancestors.)

Now I needed to learn about the Georgia Genealogy resources.

Source: Library of Congress

Georgia Genealogy Resources

Georgia is made up of 159 counties. Genealogical records for each county vary as is often found in the Southern states. Fires, floods and natural disasters account for many of the record losses. Marriage and probate records were recorded by the clerk of the Ordinary Court. Land records were recorded by the Clerk of the Superior Court. The Superior Court handled most civil cases as well. From 1805-1833, Georgia had a unique land lottery system to distribute lands that had been taken from the Cherokee and Creek Indians.

Georgia Land Lotteries – Information on each of the 8 land lotteries held between 1805-1833. If your ancestor participated in one of the Georgia land lotteries, know the eligibility rules for the participants. Clues to the participant’s age, marital status, arrival in Georgia can be gleaned.

Georgia Farmer (Source: Library of Congress)

African American Genealogy Resources

Are you researching African American ancestors in Georgia? These resources may be of help.

AfriGeneas - A website devoted to African-American genealogy research. Be sure and check out their online community, too.

[Unfortunately, that gold seeking ancestor did not strike it rich and no family fortune in gold was discovered!]

Lisa Lisson is a genealogist, blogger and Etsy-prenuer who writes about her never-ending pursuit of ancestors, the “how” of genealogy research and the importance of sharing genealogy research with our families. Specializing in North Carolina and southern Virginia research, she also provides genealogical research services to clients. In researching her own family history, Lisa discovered a passion for oral history and its role in genealogy research. You can find Lisa online at Lisa Lisson.com.

This is great information. I am an African American and traced my genealogy as far backs as 1815. I was able to use property/will information to help identify slaves in my family. I got stuck with a slave that records show was born in Virginia. Needless to say, my search was halted.